Viv's Tatting Quest

Etsy Plug :)

2010-07-20T18:14:00.003-04:00

Not only do I have knitting stitch markers on etsy but i have TATTING STRIVERS!!!!!! SEEEEEEEEEEEEE....go lookie :)

Lapidolite Striver

Yellow Jade Striver

Bown Clay and Jade Striver

Brown clay and agate Stich Marker

Blown Glass and Amethyst Stitch Marker

Etsy

2010-07-19T19:41:00.001-04:00

I think I have lost my mind....I set up my Etsy Shop!!!???!!!! So far all I have is stitch markers for knitting but I'll be adding strivers ASAP....hopefully before I move!!! EEK!!!!

Oh yeah I'm moving this week.....tons to pack and movers coming Thurs to get the heavy stuff!!!!

I made SOCKS

2010-06-26T21:02:00.002-04:00

I made socks :) Not even for me :) I made socks for B!!! The world cup has been VERY useful is having time for do these :) Started them them the 11th and finished them today :)

owl markers

2010-06-25T16:33:00.001-04:00

I've been making stitch markers...they are OSOOOOOOO cute and easy to make....here's my owls...ain't they cute :)

first sock

2010-06-14T18:17:00.003-04:00

I finished my first sock....its way to long.......obviously 2 inches meant 3-4 so I have a shrek sock and will probably not make its mate....who knows

hehe...natural dyed yarn

2010-06-13T21:21:00.004-04:00

I got B to dye me some yarn!!!! I wanted to go to the yarn store since I was in M'vallo this weekend (last minutish and he asked me to come up). While I was talking to the owner he was wandering around the dying books (not unusual). He found a recipe for TUMERIC dyed yarn. Now how on earth did we not think of this....we eat SOOOOOO much indian and LOVE tumeric. So he mordanted a hank of Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair and dyed me some tumeric yarn :)

Here is the post soaking/mordant process

Here is the dye post...pre skiming. The tumeric mix left a skum that had to go

Yarn in the pot soaking

See how yellow....We let it soak for about another 30-45 minutes so it got much darker/brownish

a bit fuzzy FO but I haven't had a chance to crop the other pics....but colorwise ITS PRETTY!!!

sock :)

2010-06-11T15:16:00.002-04:00

I learned how to edit and write on pics with my CELL PHONE!!!!!!!!!WOOHOO...as a result here is my first sock. As you can see the heel and cuff at LABELED :) its all twisty but there is about 2 inches of the foot part done...so happy!!!

Class tonight and then M'Vallo bound to watch soccer and more soccer...gotta love the world cup

cute

2010-06-11T12:35:00.003-04:00

I dug through my new pretties and had some fun last night. I made up some single stitch markers. I have some beads that I don't have enough for a set or I could made sets of 5 and I played with them. One of my favs is the ladybug. On one side is a red lady bug and on the other is a flower! I added green and red seed beads to the head pin and it is CUTE...not great but cute :) I still need to add a jump ring but I need some smaller split rings to top this one off for use w/ the socks I'm now addicted to :)

hmmm...

2010-06-10T11:18:00.005-04:00

I started out so well....I blogged almost regularly and then it fell off. I need to get back to the blog. But, though I haven't stopped altogether, I have taken a break from tatting so the title no longer seems correct. I did try needle tatting yarn for a shawl but there must many tries before that is even an OPTION....it looked AWFUL and i put it aside for a time.
I have been knitting regularly even made my first sock heel the other night....so proud. I've even pulled BACK out the first attempt at a sock w/ actual sock yarn (that stuff is TINY) and I'll start working on that again today, or this afternoon after summer school.
But the newest fun thing.....i love making stitch markers!!!!! I'll have to do a pic post later because the school won't load flickr pics :( so sad.....but I have so much fun making them and they seem to fill that little need to create with stones and pretties. I've always loved the idea but wasn't so good w/ the jewelry, and tatting with beads just makes my hands shaky but this works for me. I've had so suggestions to sell and a lady offered to let me sell on her etsy store (not a bad idea, we increase her store popularity maybe and I can make some $$). The problem so far is cost....I want to use quality stuff but of course that makes them more expensive....but we'll have to see. First I have to get some made up (i have lots of pretties to play with) and get good pics to see if she likes, then we'll go from there. I might even see if anyone for the knitting/crochet/tatting class of Friday wants to buy some :) No I'm not above selling to the students....Oh that reminds me I need to make up the ones for Betty Jo....eeks must do that tonight!!!!

HI!!!!! I'm in a workshop learning ho...

2010-05-05T10:50:00.001-04:00

HI!!!!! I'm in a workshop learning how to use google docs so I thought I'd see how it posted to the blogger :) We'll See

creativity is dangerous at times

2010-03-01T12:19:00.001-05:00

Have you ever had a chocolate dipped peep. I have and its becasue I made them. they are tasty. Dangerous.

At least if you love peeps they are....

On to LESS dangerous things. I learned to knit hats. I've made two so far w/ more to come.

Here is B's Hat. Its Civil War sleeping cap

He likes to wear it in a very smurfy manner hehe

Here it is not on his big head :)

Here is MY hat...its perfect :)

random update

2010-02-28T13:01:00.003-05:00

Silly kitty wearing my hat :) This is being made out of Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair. Its gonna be almost a ckull cap type and I'm gonna see about some things to attach tatting wise....maybe a flower or two or even....well I don't kknow yet :)

my first hat

2010-02-07T21:01:00.001-05:00

I have been tatting I promise!!!! But I've also been knitting more :) I have a couple scarfs on the needles, and a dishcloth (I need several more) and tonight I started this...

I'm making a hat. This is the first time I've used the double points and I don't know how much I like them but I really want to make the pointed hat for events. Part of my issue w/ the hat is the yarn but it is homespun so its gonna have some issues..but Al (her mom made it) said it knits up nice at the end....we'll see....

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

neck warmer

2010-01-09T21:03:00.003-05:00

I figured out how to knit in the round!!!! WOOHOO....I'm making a neck warmer. I was working back and forth but decided to switch to the round. After I finish it up I'll stitch the end closed (and thinking about adding tatting :) Little purple flowers maybe :) or butterflys since I don't do flowers verywell ) hehehe

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

Quicky update

2009-12-30T13:49:00.002-05:00

SOOOOO much to catch up on!!!! The holidays were fun as always. I spent part in M'Vallo w/ B and Part in E'prise w/ the family :). Got LOTS of goodies!!!! Yarn from B; Yarn and LIZBETH!!!! from Manda; scarves, socks, gift cards, a bath stuff from B's fam; knitting needles, knitting accessories, bobbin lace pillow, pj pants, and SUper Mario WIIIIIII from the family; oh and probably more that I've forgotten!!!! didn't do a good job of getting pics and now dicombobulated on who and what :( but still a good holiday :)

When I left E'prise to go back to M'Vallo for new years I had the cat with me (he goes where I go). I had to stop at a gas station for a rr break and a drink just north of Troy...btw rest areas are good....tearing them down is BAAAAAAD......anyway, I step outside after buying my drink and what do i see....

Shadow sitting on the dashboard!!!! Now I drive a Prius so there is amble dashboard space but it is very difficult to drive when the cat is between you and the speedometer :) I still haven't figured out how he got UP there but he used ME as a ladder to get down!!!!! More to update later....need to get back to the knitting and tatting and do less playing on super Mario bros WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII :)

Motif #12

2009-12-21T18:41:00.005-05:00

Dahlia medalion for Christmas Ornaments First Beads with Shuttle tatting. Previous beading was with needle tatting.

Lizbeth white size 20 with metallic seed bead size 11/0

Tatskool HDT Rainbow Bright size 30 with white seed bead 11/9

Viv sent the photo from her phone and since she is computerless visiting away from home, I (mama) am finishing up this post for her.

Happy Birthday!!!!

2009-12-15T15:38:00.003-05:00

My Secret Santa sent me FLOWERS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I NEVER get flowers so I was TOTALLY shocked!!!! I sent a school wide email to say thank you right away!!!! But WOOHOO I'm 30!!!!!

Later tonight I might even get time to tat or knit but who knows?????

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

knitting update

2009-12-06T16:02:00.003-05:00

This item turned sideways and looking funny is my new needle caddy....or etui as mom calls it. When I saw it I couldn't say no. I had just gotten the set of 15 sizes of bamboo needles and needed something to put them in right???? :)

Anf here is my first complete (and mostly correct) knitted wash/dish cloth. Its the letter A. I'm so proud. I made one mistake really and well now I can't find it!!!! So I'm gonna do more as gifts now that i know that I can do them correctly and with fewer mistakes that the poor sad turtle that I left in Montevallo :(

secret santa part 2

2009-12-05T11:47:00.002-05:00

I got ANOTHER secret santa gift!!!! I really didn't expect TWO. Deb spoiled me a bit. She sent me two books-tatting patterns for one shuttle and the little book of tatted angels- two spools of thread, pearle cotton, a package of beads, and a lovely snowflake w/ a bead suspended in the center!!!!

I got a couple of things in the mail-not neat gifts though- but those will come later....ooooo maybe a tatting tea tuesday post----oooohhhh but its not tatting it knitting. I'll think of something :)

fun week :) lots of goodies!!!!

2009-12-03T17:52:00.003-05:00

So papa made me all the kick but wooden stuff but he did one more big thing for me on Friday morning. He went and got a piece of metal to make a marker board for my patterns. He painted it silver (smelly) and handed me some magnets and now I can keep up w/ where I am in both knitting AND tatting patterns!!!

OK so after I left the parents house on Friday I headed to M'Vallo to see B and his family and attend a wedding on Sat.
On the way up I talked to B and we decided to go ahead a do birthday's early (his was 12/2 and mine is 12/15). I gave him a framed pic of the green dog (poor puppy lol) and this is what I got!!!!
He made me a new scarf. Actually I think I was supposed to get it last yr or the yr before but he gave it to me Sat. B does fingerweaving. He learned as a boyscout and still work on it. He's thought about selling but decided for now not to. ANYWAY!!!! a couple yrs ago he gave me a small brown scarf and this one is gorgeous shades of blue with a braided fringe that is woven straight from the scarf....soooooooooooooo pretty!!!!! And thats not ALL.

For a while, since mom and I started tatting, I've been looking for the reseach to tat in colors and w/ either a second shuttle or a ball for civil war. I have to have proper documentation of dates of publications and if possible the reprints of the originals. I had done the reading for all the websites about Riego and her publications but didn't have ALL the info to get away w/ tatting more "modern" at an 1865ish event. B found a book I'd been looking at as a possible resource, and no i hadn't told him it was one i wanted. But he got me the correct tatting book that lays out all the info clearly and exaclty like i need to do what I want at events!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its Flitting Fingers Tatting in the Nineteenth Century by Virginia Mescher. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

As I perusing Etsy the other day (I searched tatting as usual) i ran across a lovely shuttle for $10. Now I have SEVERAL shuttles and wasn't looking for any new ones but this was a black filigree shuttle. Period correct I believe. So I grabbed it :) I got it today...sooooooooo fast.

And finally....I got my exchange present from my InTatters secret santa!!!!!! WOOOOOHHOOOOOOO. Barbara was marvelous There was a card with a lovely christmas snowflake tucked inside. A Romanian Point Lace kit. TWO shuttles, a green Lacis AND a white one that I've never seen before!!!!. There was also a skein of HDT in Golden Glow sz 20. AND a bag with 2 types of beads, a purple and metallic oblong, and a clear triangle type. I almost forgot, I really neat pair of thread snips!!! Already played with them and NO gets their hands on these!!!! She spoiled me a bit!!!!! I can't wait to see how my partners like their presents????? Yikes!!!!

Thanksgiving-Tues, Wed and Thurs

2009-11-26T17:32:00.000-05:00

So after school Tues was the drive to the parents...and Shadow was being his usual charming traveling cat self. After the emergency stop for me....look at where the cat chose to sit in the car...

I don't know HOW he fit his LARGE 18 lb self across the headrests on the backseat but he rode for over an hour and a half like this....

On Wed. evening mom and I went to Michaels....craft store w/ two tatters, one who also knits and both do tons of other crafty things....dangerous!!!!! I got some cotton yarn for knitting dishcloths and washcloths and some bamboo needles (ok so mom get all of it but this was for me :) ) and we got supplies for the corking. Once the nephew, a scout, saw the corking w/ leather he wanted to do it!!!! So I taught the kid to cork (evil giggle).

Now you can't cork w/ leather on the plastic thing I bought....but you can on the ones papa made me!!!

The one on the far left is MY walnut one, 6 nails.

The one in the center is of osage orange, 6 nails. DO you know how hard it is to use these when you keep stopping to sniff the wood?

And the one on the right is for the nephew. It is also walnut but w/ only 3 nails for the leather...

On top of these lovelies he also made a yarn spinner for me!!!

Its made of walnut and osage orange....as you can see it didn't take long to wind a skein of yarn onto it :) Yeah!!!!!

Soon will come shuttles............

motif #11

2009-11-21T12:37:00.003-05:00

Pulled the basic pattern from be-stiched. It was a earring pattern that I was gonna do as an earring but messed up :) I added my pretty sparkly new beads to the picots and the loop at the bottom (there was supposed to be three loops) but I don't know. I might add a pin to the back but right now its just cute. I was gonna do a lot more tatting today but I'm all shaky cause I didn't eat bfast soon enough after I got up so everythings all wacky...

I can KNIT :)

2009-11-20T20:28:00.003-05:00

I can KNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! I promise the piece is actually squarish and not as weird looking as it seems but it was all rolly and wouldn't photograph square :)

tatted cross, motif #10

2009-11-20T18:22:00.004-05:00

I promise I have been tatting!!!! the knitting and corking aren't TOTALLY distracting!!!! Last night at tatting class I borrowed a Birget Phelps pattern adn tatted up the button cross. GOnna have to do many more. I really think I'd like to give some of these as Christmas gifts as ornaments. I think one or two of these and some different snowflakes would be a nice small gift for pp. I'm also looking at some beaded earing patterns for some friends :)

Oh this is in Lizbeth Caribean size 20 :)

inspiration

2009-11-15T20:59:00.004-05:00

So.....apparently one new craft at a time isn't enough...LOL. So having been inspired by TatsKool I have begun what she calls Corking. Around here you look for a french knitter but still its the same thing!!!! So anyway....after I finally dug through the gazillion piles of various sizes of thread and yarn I began playing w/ my new toy. I started w/ a simple white yarn to see what I was doing. After playing I tried to make a two colored bit but couldn't figure it out :( booooo....then I got creative hehehehehe

I figured out that I could use a smaller thread, like a 20, as a contrasting color against the white. Now I don't have a lot of thread that i have MORE than enough of to playu w/ (OK I do but didn't wanna use the lizbeth thats for tatting) so instead I pulled out one of the several balls of 10 FLORA that I don't like tatting w/. Now I have no idea how or where I'm going to use a white and pink cording but I'll have it. Part of the orginial inspiration was the idea of sewing the yarns of easy to creat cording into a rug. Mom wants white rugs and you can't FIND them!!!! So i can make them....maybe :) I'll try to turn the white and pink into a rug maybe :)

HandyHands

2009-11-10T17:31:00.003-05:00

SO I don't normally do Tatting Tea Tuesday but I got a box from HandyHands today so I have a post :)

So I was bad. I admit this. I ordered from Handy Hands. THe excuse was I should have a backup #7 needle just in case....yeah its a good excue right???? But since I had an excuse I usedit to buy the needle threader they hav (we'll see if it works better and is less loseable) and a few balls of Lizbeth 40 :) I got Falling Leaves, Victorian Red and Harvest Orange Med. Yes I will give mom some since she has the larger as well and can play w/ the double layered dahlia with it :) hehehe....ohhh and I got a new thread to try, I wanted a light purple smaller than a 20 for a wedding present idea so I got a ball of Fincrochet 30 to play w/ and hope it works!!!! and of course who can order from HH w/out ordering a book :) This is one MamaJo has and after I looked at it and the multiple crosses I wanted it...again mom will borrow :) The cat didn't come in the box but he HAD to be in the picture so there's the cat..lol

motif #9

2009-11-07T21:02:00.002-05:00

For motif #9 I have Heather's pattern Hearts for Tracy. This one is Lizbeth Dr Purple in 20. I have one started in Flora 10 but not much is done. I want to finish the other one this weekend and get them both sent off to Tracy on Monday. If anyone hasn't heard its a fundraiser for a young woman havinga double mastectomy next week.

Packages

2009-11-05T17:42:00.003-05:00

I have been package happy recently!!!!

Up 1st are the cutouts I ordered for thread winders. I have maple leaves, 6pt stars, teaddy bears, flowers w/ various petal #'s, shamrocks, and angel wings. The maple leaves and wings may be a bit small but we'll see. Up next for all these is paint!!!! WOOHOO....

Next up is etsy heaven!!!! This is a dangerous place.....I found these LOVELY crocheted slippers and HAD to have them.....the origianl plan was socks but these are better :) They are from CocoaBeans.

Also from CocoaBeans are these lovely dishcloths. I've wanted to try them for a while I so got them!!! I didn't get a pic of the rest of the package :( But CocoaBeans sent me some marvelous soap samples is fig and vanilla!!!!

The last items are from RedEye. He makes the coolest chainmail jewelry. I saw his work on another blog (i forgot whos!!!!! EEKS) and started drooling then and there....it jsut took me a while before I had and excuse to buy :) I got them for Halloween but they got here the day after i left for Birmingham for 4 days :( But I've worn the earring all week and the necklace several times too :) Next I want the braclet w/ the purple rings added....oooooooooooooooooooo....Just not right now :(

Halloween Costumes!!!

2009-11-05T17:19:00.005-05:00

1st up is Marco. Do you like his costume? Brian (the guy in my life) used food coloring and dyed the puppy green. And the puppy dyed the carpet and the bathroom green. Marco was more upset by the bath than the color. He got more upset when Friday he had to take a bath to wash OUT the food coloring (or most of it!!!)

Here's the eye make up. I used a costume/stage makeup glue that you can add glitter to. Shockingly enough its called......wait for it....Glitter Glue!!!! I wanted to use it to attach tatting to me but it didn't work :(

Oh and the hair was supposed to be blue....its black w/ blue highlights...NOT blue. Then again after two days it was green....kinda matched LadyShuttleMakers Treebeard HDT.....interesting but not my goal.

This is the pic I took w. my phone. Not really a family pic is it!!! There is one tatted piece attached to me. That one had to stick to cover the HUGE cat scratch I got when bathing the cat (he smelled and had a kitty litter butt eeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwww) Outside of the overhang issue its actually a good pic of me. And this was the night I learned who the corset will NOT work upside down. It was an accident but boy was it a PAINFUL one!!!!! Its rightside up by this time :)

My friend Manda took some pics for me at her house of the whole costume :) I forgot the camera so I used Manda's :) I LOVE the gloves I'm wearing. Got them on etsy from Fran's Knitted and Crocheted Things. I really loke these....wear them tons :)

This is Ugg the cave man pimp...or as mom said the blinged out cave man. I made the mistake when asked about cave man appropriate fabric to say purple animal print. Brian found zebra and fuzzy purple edging. I blinged out the club, gourd, and sandles. I had fabric glue w/ me for the attaching tatting attempts. Anyway he picked out the costume and accesories I just added the plastic glittery stones he picked out :)

Here we are together....this pic might get printed and framed....I don't have many good ones of us together (we both dislike cameras...)

One Firday I got to see my friend Krissy and this guy. Andrew....I bought Krissy lunch and then got to play w. Andrew till he squirmed/fussed and then he went back to mama!!!! Then she decided she needed to eat and passed him back to me to feed.....

halloween costume

2009-10-27T19:56:00.006-04:00

So here's the final? costume. The wierd looking drape is the shirt I'll wear under the corset. It's a period correct corset made of heavy canvas, you wear something under it!!! The shirt is a rich purple with a deep v from and back to show off during Rocky Horror!!! The skirt is teal with a long curved slit. There's and under skirt in white.

Here's a close up of the skirt. I attached some of the flowers and a dahlia medallion and some butterflies. I decided at the end that I wanted to tie in the lace I added to the corset to the skirt so I glued some on the curve and so it didn't blend in to the white I ran a thread through in color and then added some gemstones from my box of stuff :)

There are 4 decorated gussets on the corset (theres actually 8 or 10 total but I only deal w/ 4 for decorating cause two are almost under my arms and 4 are on the back)

I had pics of all 4 but after one kept being deleted I gave up in it being on here!

The 1st pic is on one of the top gussets and the other 2 are the hip gussets. All 4 have the same lace the top have the lace running horizontal in layers and the bottom one run on the diagonal (like i need to add ruffles for my hips to be larger!) Anyway I tacked flowers and butterflys to all 4 gussets in the lace. I like the effect. its different and most important removable so it doesn't show under my white Civil War dress!!!!

I have a pair of Raspberry Sorbet earrings I made this week (My first earings!!!!!!) I'm so proud! I'll be wearing these and possible a pair of chainmail earrings I ordered if they get here in time (tomorrow) :)

I'm also planning to attach some extra flower pendants to my chest. If I can get it to stick. I've got fun makeup as usual and its gonna be a blast. I'll try and get some pics before the festivities begin thursday night :)

LETS DO THE TIME WARP!!!!!!!!!!!

fun? project

2009-10-25T17:59:00.003-04:00

I have a feeling this will be a long project. The yellow cap of beads I'm holding is only PART of what I have. THe rest are in the Yellow container in the corner of the Pic, theres about 2 inches of beads in that container.

Now shall I explain the project?? These are sead beads that I have had since...ummmmm, Jr High I think. Anyway at some point I just DUMPED them all in together. So I have sead beads of various sizes and colors mixed together. As the pic shows I have two glass jars. One jar is labeled Beads Needle #7 and one is Beads Needle #5. So two jars and LOTS of beads. The project is basically me using the #7 needle to see if they will slide over the it. If the beads fit thye go in the #7 jar, and if they don't they go in the #5 jar.....sounds fun doesn't it? Anyone wanna do it FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE????? Alright I guess I'll keep at it myself :(

new trick

2009-10-22T19:35:00.005-04:00

I learned a new trick tonight. Now its not a new trick for most tatters but it was MY new trick :) I went down to talk to MamaJoTats at HL this afternoon (we're working on a Tatter Chatter class starting in Nov!!!) and after she got off at 5 we went and sat at Starbucks and talked and tatted till 9!!!! goodness. Once I crossed into the time zone that I'm in it was 10!!!! eek....but While we sat and talked I showed her my prizes from LadyShuttleMakers Mondo Monday Giveaway a few weeks ago. I've played w/ the size 50 treebeard but hadn't played w/ the beads yet cause I DON'T KNOW HOW!!!! WWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.....

So as we talked I talked myself through how to do this trick of tatting w/ beads (MamaJo helped LOTS!!!!) so I already had the Lovely Rainbow Bright thread from Tatskool on the needles for the flower motif and ran the beads on and woohoo I tatted with beads!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Yes I am overly excited but for several reasons. I liked the tatting w/ beads it opens up several new paths for me to play. But what made me REALLY giddy today was that TatsKool put my picture of CHocoLime up on her blog....

Now mom laughs at me over this, and MamaJo, but I get so excited when one of the (as I call them) Ubertatters comments on my blog or does like TatsKool and used my pic of her thread. I've had a chance (didn't work out) to meet some famous pp mom knows and didn't get this excited but these Tatters who have soo much to teach and show that almost all tatters know the names of makes me giddy.....They like something of MINE when they are SOOO much more experienced and stuff....I get a thrill, love it, giggle at it, squeal at it, just get happy about it....yeah its hard to explain....

2009-10-17T16:14:00.004-04:00

Mom and I made thread winders!!!! Well, Papa helped :) Mom has all these white cardboard dividers saved up and since this town sucks and has NO decent craft stored to get the wooden blanks, we inprovised. So mom printed of some of the various thread winder patterns and traced the pattern to the cardboard, we passed it off to Papa to cut out w/ the bandsaw, and here we have thread winders !!!! I sanded down the edges on most already and want to paint them but I went ahead and used a few since the poor floss bobbins w/ the lovely Hot Chocolate line from Tatskool were WAAAAAAAAY over full and the thread was falling off!!! They aren't perfect and I still want to try w/ the wooden blanks but I like!!

LadyShuttleMakers Mondo Giveaway!!

2009-10-15T17:28:00.005-04:00

SO last week I was one of the exrta winners of LadyShuttleMakers Weekly Mondo Monday Giveaway!!!! And finally today it arrived....I love this thread, well all her thread really, but THIS one, Treebeard, is currently on my wishlist on Etsy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So perfect. The other part of the giveaway gift was a bag of beads in an aqua teal color!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never used 50 but can't wait to try it!!!

ChocoLime yuuuuummmmmmmmyyyyy

2009-10-14T19:11:00.005-04:00

I finally used the sample of ChocoLime that I received a while back from Tatskool. It was 5 yards so I didn't want a large project but I've been WANTING to play with the thread :) So I decided that this whole needle tatting thing was perfect!!! So I did 2 of TotusMel's flower pendant. It was kinda more practice and kinda I think I want to do the flower pendants for the Halloween costume. I think I can get LOTS of them done in various thread, both HDT and Lizbeth, and scatter them and attach as I like....good plan right??? Anyway I got the two flowers above done and have that LITTLE bit of Chocolime left and now I need to get more!!!! Off to play w/ the Chocoraspberry and the Raspberry Ripple!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO

Oh yeah...I can tell I tat tighter than TotusMel...my pendant leaves overlap, now I like this effect but this is also why I have to block everything!!!!!!!!!!!!

Motif #8

2009-10-12T19:38:00.004-04:00

Gonna have to learn how to get 2 pics from my phone to this blog!!!!! Anyway this is the closeup of the flower pendant I played with....I'm not to sure how I like it but I'm gonna block it before I decide!!!!!!! hehehehe

hmmmm Motif #7

2009-10-12T19:37:00.004-04:00

So can you tell the 1st one from the rest??? The one in the top left corner is the 1st tatting flower pendant. The rest followed :) The one in the bottom right has a bit of a twist to it, can you tell? I decided to try a josephine stitch for the chains....what do you think....I'll get a better pic up soon

motif #6!!!!

2009-10-10T22:58:00.003-04:00

SO can you tell I like my new phone that takes good pic and sends right to my blog??? Anyway Now that I have figured out the issues w/ running the needle back through the loop I wasn't getting....I finished one of the medallions out of the needle tatting book!!!!!! BADDLY needed blocking!!!!! But should look good once its done :)

WOOHOO Needle tatting

2009-10-10T21:24:00.002-04:00

OK so apparently I missed something important...finally figured out what I was doing wrong...can't explain and wouldn't want to really :) But anyway!!!! This is my first FINISHED needletatting. It is TotusMel's flower pendant from instructables. Took forever and may not be great but here it is. And it's motif #6 I beleive!!!!!

2009-10-10T16:46:00.002-04:00

My FIRSt needle tatted ring!!!! I stopped byt Hobby Lobby and hung out w/ MamaJoTats today and she kindly showed me how to needle tat!!!! I picked up some needles, borrowed a book (thanks) and tonight is needle tatting time!!!!!!!! WOOHOO

2009-10-06T18:35:00.002-04:00

A somewhat off center pic from my cell phone of a almost completed project I did for a student...This kid graduated this summer and the whole faculty is sooooo proud of him and since he's leaving the area I decided this would be a good project :) I used the cross I finished a bit ago and got a disply box for it. I simply pinned the cross in, put a note in the bottom corner w/ a note to the student...the only part I haven't decided about is if I want to use a medallion on it...I'm gonna ask in the morning if the counsellor likes (and get her to rewrite the note cause my writting SUCKS ask mom) Then I'll finish the whole thing up, get a better pic!!! and let her give it to him :)

halloween questions

2009-10-01T19:49:00.003-04:00

So starting work on,, or at least gathering ideas/options for my halloween costume (Rockyt Horror Picture Show costume)..... So thinking peasant skirts in all colors(already have), my corset (civial war period correct, wear every year to rocky horror), and edging my corset in tatting....heres where the issues come into play.....what pattern/colors????

Now the obvious thread choice is Lizbeth, but what color? like the idea of Caribbean because or the brightness but should I do something w/ more contrast??? the Harvest orange w/ desert bloom could be interesting....or painful to look at....purple is always a good choice but typical for me.....black or green are good but not fun....i just don't KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And patterns!!!!! I could do a mary konoir and practice an edging I want to do for a gift???? or find something online like on of the wave patterns....don't want a basic learners ring and chain, even though simple and quick....I don't want to.....help?????

EDIT: So I tried the Mary Konoir Merry Widow pattern...hmmmm don't know I'll use it but I tried in Desert Bloom and Harvest Orange and the other one is Turqouise Twist and Caribbean....I like the blue combo.....

motif #5

2009-09-20T21:18:00.003-04:00

After the 3rd attempt I FINALLY finished Mary Konoir's large cross out of Tatting w/ VIsual Patterns....

I didn't actually block it but I did put it on the blocking foam and spray it down w/ the "Stop it Cat" bottle of water...I did it in Lizeth 20. The inner chains at Mocha Dk and the rings are in Mocha Swirl...Don't look too close cause i messed up a bit :) forgot to tie the arms of the cross to the bottom (oops) and goodness knows that there are some seriously messed up joins at the end :) BUT I FINISHED and really don't care about the screw ups :) hehehe

frustrated

2009-09-19T23:55:00.002-04:00

I have no new tatting to show but its NOT because I'm not tatting. I just keep screwing up!!!! Last weekend I was doing great on the glass mat for Tatting w/ Visual Patterns by Mary Konoir...was on the 7th round and messed up like 5 rings in a row before I realized it...WAY more than I am currently able to take out w/ out destroying. Today I was working on the Large cross fromt he same book. One the 2nd side (3/4 of the way done) I didn't do a ring but another clover leaf by accident....no removing. So I started over w/ a differnt color and extra bobbin for when i need it....and guess what I messed up again. On the third part of the clover where its 5-5-10 I did 5-5-5, closed and then proceeded to do the chain and begin the next ring...I simply packed it all away for the night I will decide tomorrow if I want to attempt to fix it.....ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG and the worst part it is that I WAS paying attention. I wan't talking or watching tv or anything when workingI just couldn't get it right......over the 3 projects I have 4+ wasted hours of work.....painful

motif #4 and bookmarks

2009-09-13T17:42:00.002-04:00

So I'm gonna count these together as motif #4. THey are all bookmarks (link in previous post). This time i ran the ribbon through the middle like I meant to for the last one :) But they are done!!!! Gonna mail them to their new home this week!!!

So I tried the glass mat pattern from Tatting w/ Visual Patterns by Mary Konior....I was doing well. I messed up the beginning a bit but it was for me so who cares :) My 1st shot at a pattern this big....well I got to the 8th repeat and royally, beyond my ability to fix, screwed up....SOOOOOO close!!!!! I'm gonna cut w/ LONG threads and see if I can get Mom to pick it out next time I'm home...it goes with the 3rd turquoise twist bookmarkl that I messed up. The one in the picture was the 4th and finally CORRECT one....that annoyed the tar out of me!!!! But I have the pieces and will see if they can be fixed and I'll try again. :)

motif #3 and other fun stuff

2009-09-08T18:43:00.006-04:00

My motif #3 is a bookmark. A friend gave me the pattern from this site Bookmark . I left off the fringe thing at the bottom and will add ribbon on each side before I pack it up for a gift :) It's done in Lizbeth Dark Turquoise and Jewels. Now these I don't really want to add as part of the 25 Motif Challenge since I already have medallions on there but I REALLY wanted to play w/ this thread!!!

The top is size 20 Plum Tickled by LadyShuttleMaker. An the bottom is size 10 Vibrato by YarnPlayer.

AND NOW....I have admittedly become addicted to thread. LOTS of thread...

From Tatskool I ordered (from left to right) Chocolate Sauce, Raspberry Ripple w/ Real Vanilla, ChocoRaspberry, RAINBOWBRIGHT!!!!, and I even got a sample of her NEW thread....ChocoLime...and yes these flavors are making me crave some chocolate....and its really hard to type w/ an 18 lb Maine Conn Cat on your arm....OK he moved

Onto my other new thread!!!!

From YarnPlayer I have (from top to bottom) Midnight Oil, Summer Trail, and Sugar Maple....I've been WAITING for the Sugar Maple since she first mentioned it!!!! I'm so excited :) Of yeah and ALLLL the new stuff is size 20....I'm gonna finish up the shuttle of HDT and then I'm gonna play w/ all of this!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!

Home for a visit

2009-09-04T23:56:00.009-04:00

Well I'm at the parents for the weekend...this means mom and I go through LOTS of tatting supplies (all hers and what I may have brought with me), I get to drive long distances and laugh at funny signs, and I get to show you both!!!!

First off is the sign. I drive by this place each time I come home but never get to photograph the sign. Today I got a pic :)

Now would you use this place for your car??? I laugh evertime I drive by but this time I had the camera out and there was no one behind me on the exit so I got the pic.

Now for tatting supplies things get fun. I've never taken a pic of my supplies but I will of mom's cause its funny

This is mom's bag of thread and other stuff. I counted the other day and between the two of us (mom currently having the most actual ball of thread) we have around 25-30 different colors of Lizbeth 20. Now mom has somehow mamaged to get hers all organized and packed up in her LARGE reusable shopping bag. My is much less organized and simple tossed in a basket next to my chair :)

With all this thread we both decided the best idea was to wind some of each onto thread cards and store in an organizer. Now we both group our organizers different of course but the idea is the same.

Mom's is on the left and mine on the right (you;ll notice I've never bothered to peal the sticker off the box). And on top is the ball of Lizbeth20 Christmas Red I get to keep since mom has a new one :) We have become thread collectors. Me more so cause I buy it or convice mom she really needs ALLLLLLL those different colors :)

The last happy news is I got another new shuttle. I'm a shuttle collector. I admit it. I love shuttles :) So this month I got the Sewmate teal shuttle and a new book.

I have wanted this book since I tatted my 1st maple leaf and I finally got it. I figured since mom had just had me buy out ALLLLL of the tatting threads at Hobby Lobby last Saturday that this month I could buy the book and no thread. The thread was on sale for $2.65 each so I bought it ALL even the stuff we had if we liked it. I think I left 3 behind cause we had never even come close to thinking about buying those colors....

Now I have been tatting but no pics and really this post is long enough. Isn't it??

Happy package

2009-08-27T18:22:00.004-04:00

I got a happy package!!!! I got my FIRST Workbaskets today!!!! I ordered them from raesvintage (we're gonna see if see if the link works and i did it right) and they arrived today!!!!!!

From right to left they are June 1963, April 1952, and August 1953....and the 53 and 63 have SEVERAL interesting patterns for me to play with. The 52 has a couple but not nearly as many....I'm happy. I've started a NEW collection. OK so maybe not a good thing but I'm excited anyway :) hehe

Mom's Dahlia experiment

2009-08-22T14:59:00.005-04:00

This is mom's double layer dahlia. The bottom is in DMC Cebelia 10 and the top in Cebelia 20 color # 745. this was amazing to watch. She doubled the picots on the center ring and used the 10 on every other to create the bottom layer. She tied off and then used the 20 on the top using the alternate picots. The final result is that the top stands up a bit...

I think w/ some modifications (if mom's willing to do this again) it would make a great daffodil pattern :) but I won't get pushy about it yet!!!!

motif #1 and #2

2009-08-22T14:49:00.004-04:00

So I guess I'm ready for this. I want to participate in the 25 motif challenge....so here they are motif #1 and #2 Both are a dahlia medallion from a pattern my mom found online (through Georgia Seitz) in an older book (Ann Valeire Book 2). She figured it out from the confusing directions and so now I have the pattern. The larger follows the original exactly and the smaller has some changes...I only did 12 instead of 14 outer rings and I shortened the conecting threads. I haven't blocked either of these yet but will soon.
The Center ring is in Lizbeth Royal Blue and the outer rings are Lizbeth Royal Wave....

YEAH!!!

2009-08-22T11:28:00.002-04:00

Well I seem to be all better :) Mom's still here and I hope to photograph her tatting project from this week....she made a double layered dahlia medallion.....its soooooooooo cool but more on that layer :)

All the icky stuff seems to have passed and most of the drugs are gone (lots of antibiotics left but thats ok)....the veritgo is gone mostly and I'm hoping to convice mom I can DRIVE and she can head home to the boys before they get sick themselves...lots of crazyness going on down there I'm sure....anyway tatting later today finally and pics to I hope....but what color does one photograph yellow against???? hmmmmmmm i guess i'll just experiment :)

icky update

2009-08-18T19:21:00.002-04:00

So the illness update....'m a LOT less dizzy but still balance problems (its my inner ear there is gonna be problems)...and after my post school nap I woke up w/ my ear hurting!!! SO called my handy dandy ENT from E'Prise who fussed at me, asked me syptoms, told me to get a local doc, and called in my meds :) I'm now on a BUTTLOAD of amoxicillin, a little prenisone and LOTS of yogurt :) I taught for 3 blocks today and was WIPED OUT!!!! GOnna do it tomorrow cause I have meetings during 4th but then thurs will prob be a 1/2 day to rest up so I don't get sicker. I have to wonder if this whole mess was bacterial to begin w/ and not viral but I don't care as long as it GOES AWAY!!!!

Tatting wise I'm still working on the blue dahlia medallion but haven't done much the last two days cause of the sleeping thing :)

Woohoo MAIL

2009-08-16T20:03:00.003-04:00

I may not be healthy but I finally got the mail (its been in the box since Fri) and lookie what i had waiting :)
I ordered this from http://bamunka.etsy.com/. I've been wanting a wooden shuttle and this one caught my eye. It is a "handmade exotic padauk wood tatting shuttle." It is much smaller than I tought but it is just as pretty as I had hoped.

Here's the other pic I took. You can see Mom's Aero shuttle that I've "borrowed" w/ one of my dahlia medallions on it. And of course I have to take my temp constantly just in case i develop a fever ( yes I am paraniod that I'll get worse and not better). Unfortunatly if you look close enough you can see the LAYERS of fur on my chair too :)

And I'm so proud of myself. I figured out how to use backgrounds and stuff on here!!!!! Now I just need to learn to do links so it shows names and not the whole link???? Help????

Dahlia Medallions

2009-08-15T20:47:00.007-04:00

This are the medallions Mom's been making. She found the pattern online in on of the old books and figured out and has done TONS of them.

This one is my first. Its in Lizbeth 20 Bright Orange. Mom picks on my picot length and the length of the joining thread but I like it.....pththtth :)
This is one of mom's. She's done a TON of them all in Lydia 10 Frosty Green. This is the only one that's blocked but then again all her stuff lies flat w/out needing blocking.....mine always needs it :)

And of course the requisite side by side of the two pieces. I like how mine looks even though I managed not to block it quite sqaure....may need to fix that...anyway off to perfect cause now I have ideas for this pattern tooooooooo....evil cackle :)

Icky :(

2009-08-14T08:30:00.002-04:00

So my plans for tatting this weekend are squashed beyond all belief....i had to go to the ER and doc yesterday:( I woke up all weird and everything spinning around and around and arouind and hasn't completely stopped yet. I apparenty have a viral infection of the inner ear and in 3-5 days i'll be close to normal (I hope) so I can barely stand and walk and looking at things is really hard and kinda makes me motion sick :( So TV is pretty much out except to listen to, reading is a no go at all cause the words keep moving, and the computer is only occationally casue the sceen is problematic for me....Mom's coming up this afternoon to take care of me and make sure i eat and don't burn the place down or anything

more maple leaves

2009-08-12T17:45:00.003-04:00

So maybe the last of the leaves for a while??? Anyway so top is Lizbeth 20 Red Burst. This one is (shocking) Lizbeth 20 in Med Leaf green.

And FINALLY the same leaf in Lizbeth (DUH) 20 (DUH) in Leaf Swirl.

I need other motifs but I dont know what I want to do...I need to experiment this weekend. I should have time i think :)

thread

2009-08-11T18:53:00.004-04:00

So I didn't scan the maple leaves like planned BUT I did wind all my new HDT onto thread bobbins.

So first is the thread from yarnplayer. IN another blog below is what it looked liked as I received it but this is after being wound up. The lighter on is Lavender Orchid size 30 and the darker is Vibrato size 10.

This second pick is from ladyshuttle maker. The first one is Plum Ticked size 20 and the other is Harvest Moon SILK size 20.

I can't wait to figure out what to make w/ this!!!!! I haven't done any motifs other than my maple leaves so I don't wanna play until I figure out a pattern to use but I wanna play NOW!!!!

School

2009-08-11T06:39:00.002-04:00

I really don't like mornings. I have to get ready for school, but I relly DON'T want to. I want to go back to bed. I have 3 new leaves to scan since I've washed and blocked them but have't had time because evenings are unwind and crash time :) Maybe tonight I'll get them in. I also really want to at least unwind and bobbin up one of my new threads but won't do it if I'm to tired. I don't want to mess it up!!!

New Thread

2009-08-08T19:39:00.004-04:00

I bought my first hand dyed thread this week. I got these two threads from http://ladyshuttlemaker.etsy.com/ The top is Harvest Moon silk thread and the bottom is PlumTickled. I can't wait to try out the Harvest Moon on a maple leaf maybe?

These are from http://yarnplayer.etsy.com/ The top is Vibrato and the bottom is Lavender Orchid. I have no idea yet what I might want to do w/ these but I fell in love when I saw them.

Tatting Projects

2009-08-08T18:17:00.004-04:00

So the majorkity of my tatting projects are really one project. The maple leaf from here http://www.frontiernet.net/~TammyRodgers/mapleleaf.html I love this pattern and have a great plan for my leaves of various hues.

The first one is in Elizbeth Victorian Red. Its a little crooked but I'm still learning how to block so nothing is quite square

This one is in Lizbeth Chirstmas Green

New to this

2009-08-08T14:45:00.003-04:00

So I decided, since I haunt tons of other blogs, that maybe it was time for me to create one. Well, I have facebook and myspace but never really update there but this blog I really want for my tatting. I've always loved crafts but for some reason tatting comes easier to me than the others. I used to crochet a lot but since I can't read patterns I didn't bother to do much beyond afgans. Anyway I don't know if anyone w/ read this but me but at least I'm giving myself a place, right?